Fatty acids in Bacillus larvae, Bacillus lentimorbus, and Bacillus popilliae.

The types of fatty acids produced by two strains each of Bacillus larvae, B. lentimorbus, and B. popilliae, and their distribution patterns, were studied by gas-liquid chromatography. All six organisms produced eight major fatty acids: six branched (iso-C(14), -C(15), -C(16), and -C(17), and anteiso-C(15) and -C(17)), two normal (n-C(14) and -C(16)), and two minor (n-C(15) and monounsaturated n-C(16)). In addition, some other trace acids were produced. Branched-chain fatty acids accounted for 54 to 85% of the total fatty acids. These compositions are similar to those previously found with 26 strains of 12 species of the genus Bacillus. Thus, an abundance of branched-chain fatty acids seems to be a characteristic of the biochemical nature of the genus Bacillus. It is noteworthy that marked differences between the nutritional requirements of the three insect pathogens used in the present study and those of the other 12 species of the genus Bacillus studied previously are not significantly reflected in their fatty acid composition.